Gesture guidance device for moving platform, gesture guidance system for moving platform, and gesture guidance method for moving platform

ABSTRACT

An emphasis level R is calculated in accordance with a difference between a position of a hand of an operator A specified based on a detection signal of a 3D camera  6  and a predetermined position of a hand for performing a gesture operation. A notification of a presence of an operation object intended for the gesture operation is provided with the calculated emphasis level R to thereby guide the hand of the operator A to a predetermined position of a hand, every time the emphasis level R is calculated in response to the detection of the hand of the operator A by the 3D camera  6.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gesture guidance device for a movingplatform, a gesture guidance system for a moving platform, and a gestureguidance method for a moving platform, which recognize gestures of anoperator inside a moving platform.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Systems have been proposed for recognizing a gesture made by an operatorto operate a device positioned away from the operator inside a movingplatform. In these kind of systems, it is important to make the operatorgrasp a spatial position in which a gesture is to be made, because it isrequired to correctly recognize the gesture for an operation.

For example, Patent reference 1 discloses a system in which a virtualimage of an operation system such as an operation switch and/or a buttonis displayed in a space by using hologram technology or the like, and agesture made against the virtual image is recognized as an operation tothe device. In this system, a gesture can be made in the situation as ifthe virtual image displayed in the space appears as a real operationsystem of a device to be operated. Therefore, an operator can easilygrasp that the position where the virtual image is displayed is thespatial position in which a gesture is to be made.

Furthermore, in an invention disclosed in Patent reference 2, when afinger of an operator is detected in a space on the straight lineconnecting between a viewpoint position of an operator and an operationobject, it is recognized that the operation object is being operated.This enables the operator to grasp a spatial position in which a gestureis to be made, based on a three-dimensional positional relation betweenthe viewpoint and the operation object.

PATENT REFERENCES

Patent reference 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2005-234676.

Patent reference 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No.2005-280396.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

In Patent reference 1, a specific device is required to display thevirtual image of the operation system such as an operation switch and/ora button by using hologram technology or the like. Therefore, there maybe the problem that the system configuration is complicated and its costis increased.

Furthermore, in Patent reference 2, since an operator grasp the spatialposition in which a gesture is to be made, based on the operator'sviewpoint, the spatial position in which a gesture is to be made variesdepending on the movement of the operator's head. Therefore, when theoperator's viewpoint is erroneously detected due to the movement of thehead, the operator cannot grasp the position in which a gesture is to bemade, thus possibly failing to perform a correct operation.

The present invention is made to solve the above-described problems, andan object of the present invention is to provide a gesture guidancedevice for a moving platform, a gesture guidance system for a movingplatform, and a gesture guidance method for a moving platform, which canbe implemented by a simple configuration and can perform a guidance toan appropriate state in which a gesture operation is to be performed.

Means for Solving the Problem

According to the invention, there is provided a gesture guidance devicefor a moving platform, which includes: an emphasis level calculator tospecify a position and a shape of a hand of an operator based oninformation detected by a sensor that detects the hand of the operator,and to calculate an emphasis level in accordance with a differencebetween a combination of the position and the shape of the hand of theoperator and another combination of a predetermined position forperforming a gesture operation and a predetermined shape of a hand forthe gesture operation; and a notification controller to, every time theemphasis level calculator calculates the emphasis level in response todetection of the hand of the operator by the sensor, cause anotification device to provide a notification of a presence of anoperation object intended for the gesture operation, with the calculatedemphasis level, to thereby guide the hand of the operator to thepredetermined position and the predetermined shape of a hand for thegesture operation.

Advantageous Effect of the Invention

According to the present invention, there is the effect that theinvention can be implemented by a simple configuration and can performguidance to an appropriate state in which a gesture operation is to beperformed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the gesture guidancedevice for a moving platform according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating positional relations among a hand of anoperator, an operation object, and a gesture performance region;

FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c) are diagrams illustrating shapes of the hand of theoperator;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating notification modes for the operationobject according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relation between an operation objectand a gesture performance region according to a second embodiment;

FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams illustrating exemplary notificationmodes corresponding to deviation directions of a hand of an operatorwith respect to a center position of the gesture performance region;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation object and a plurality ofgesture performance regions corresponding thereto according to a thirdembodiment;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a relation between an operation objectand each gesture performance region according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a relation between the operationobject and the gesture performance region in each notification deviceaccording to the third embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to a fourth embodiment;and

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration screen of agesture performance region.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following, embodiments to carry out the present invention will bedescribed in accordance with the attached drawings in order to describethe present invention more in detail.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to a first embodiment.When an operator boarding a moving platform such as a vehicle performs agesture operation against an operation object, a gesture guidance device1 for a moving platform guides a hand of the operator to a predeterminedgesture performance region and guides the hand to a predetermined shapeof a hand.

In FIG. 1, the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform includesa calculator 2, an interface (I/F) 3, and an event detector 4, and thesecomponents are connected to one another via a bus 5.

Furthermore, the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform isconnected to a 3D camera 6, a speaker 7, a head-up display (HUD) 8, anda center display 9 via the I/F 3.

The calculator 2 is equivalent to a CPU mounted on the gesture guidancedevice 1 for a moving platform, and performs calculation processing invarious kinds of control. Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 1, thecalculator 2 includes a notification controller 20, an emphasis levelcalculator 21, and a gesture recognition unit 22. For example, thenotification controller 20, emphasis level calculator 21, and gesturerecognition unit 22 are implemented by a CPU and programmed by software.

Every time the emphasis level calculator 21 calculates an emphasis levelin response to detection of a hand of the operator by the 3D camera 6,the notification controller 20 causes the notification device to providea notification of a presence of an operation object intended for agesture operation, with the calculated emphasis level, to thereby guidethe hand of the operator to a predetermined position and to apredetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation. Here, theoperation object is, for example, a device or an application to be anobject intended for a gesture operation.

Furthermore, the notification device is a device to notify the operatorof the operation object, and is equivalent to the speaker 7, HUD 8, andcenter display 9 in FIG. 1. More specifically, notification modes forthe operation object includes a notification using a sound output fromthe speaker 7, and a notification using a display item to be displayedby the HUD 8 or by the center display 9.

In this case, in the case of the notification using the sound, the soundvolume, sound type, and the like of a notification sound are changed inaccordance with the emphasis level. In the case of the notificationusing the display item, the transparency, color, size, shape, and thelike of the display item are changed in accordance with the emphasislevel.

The emphasis level calculator 21 specifies the position and shape of thehand of the operator based on detected information of the hand of theoperator, and calculates an emphasis level in accordance with adifference between a combination of the position and shape of the handof the operator and another combination of a position and apredetermined shape of a hand for performing a gesture operation.

For example, an emphasis level is calculated using a quantifieddifference between the position of the hand of the operator and theposition of the gesture performance region, and using a dissimilarityobtained by quantifying a difference between the shape of the hand ofthe operator and the predetermined shape of a hand for a gestureoperation of the operation object. At this point, the emphasis levelcalculator 21 calculates the emphasis level such that the closer to thegesture performance region the hand of the operator is and the moresimilar to the predetermined shape of a hand of the operator is, thelarger a value of the emphasis level becomes.

Consequently, the closer to the gesture performance region predeterminedfor the operation object the hand of the operator approaches, the moreemphasized the notification of the presence of the operation object is.Therefore, when the operator moves the hand in a direction in which thepresence of the operation object becomes emphasized, the hand of theoperator is guided to the predetermined position of a hand (gestureperformance region) to perform the gesture operation, and is guided tothe predetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation.

The I/F 3 is an interface for relay to transmit/receive informationbetween the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform and the 3Dcamera 6, speaker 7, HUD 8, and center display 9. In this regard, agesture guidance system for guiding the hand of the operator to thegesture performance region and to the predetermined shape of a hand isformed of the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform, 3D camera6, speaker 7, HUD 8, and center display 9.

The event detector 4 detects an event from the outside via an antenna 4a and the bus 5. The event means generation of information to beprovided to a user by a notification, indicating, for example, an e-mailreceipt from a source outside a vehicle, detected by using the antenna 4a, and/or shortage information of gasoline acquired from an on-vehiclesensor (not illustrated).

The 3D (three-dimensional) camera 6 is a sensor to detect a hand of theoperator. For example, from the detected information of the 3D camera 6,image information is obtained to specify a spatial position of the handof the operator (depth information) and a shape of the hand within aphotographing visual field. The emphasis level calculator 21 receivessuch information as detected information of the 3D camera 6, andspecifies the position and shape of the hand of the operator.

The 3D camera 6 can be implemented by using, for example, a stereocamera or a time of flight (TOF) camera.

The speaker 7 is a notification device to provide an acousticnotification of a presence of the operation object by sound output. Inaddition, the HUD 8 and the center display 9 are notification devices toprovide a visual notification by displaying a display item correspondingto the operation object. In this regard, the HUD 8 is a display toproject and display information on a projection plate or the likeprovided on a front window on a front side of a driver's seat orprovided between a handle and the front window. The center display 9 isa display arranged near a center portion of an instrument panel on afront side of a vehicle interior.

Meanwhile, in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the gesture guidancedevice 1 for a moving platform includes the gesture recognition unit 22,and the gesture recognition unit 22 is adapted to recognize a gestureoperation of the operator in the gesture performance region, but notlimited thereto.

Specifically, a component to recognize a gesture operation may also beprovided as a device separate from the gesture guidance device 1 for amoving platform, and may recognize the gesture operation bycooperatively operating with the notification controller 20 and theemphasis level calculator 21.

Furthermore, the example in which the gesture guidance device 1 for amoving platform guides the hand of the operator to the predeterminedhand position to perform a gesture operation (gesture performanceregion) and also guides the hand to the predetermined shape of a handfor the gesture operation has been described, but not limited thereto.

For example, the emphasis level calculator 21 specifies only theposition of the hand of the operator based on the detected informationof the sensor, and calculates the emphasis level in accordance with thedifference between the position of the hand of the operator and thegesture performance region.

Then, every time the emphasis level calculator 21 calculates an emphasislevel in response to detection of the hand of the operator by thesensor, the notification controller 20 causes the notification device toprovide a notification of the presence of the operation object intendedfor the gesture operation, with the calculated emphasis level, tothereby guide the hand of the operator to the predetermined position.

Next, operation will be described.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the gesture guidancedevice for a moving platform according to the first embodiment, and adescription will be provided in accordance with a procedure of theflowchart illustrated in FIG. 2.

First, the event detector 4 detects an event (Step ST1). When receivingthe information of the event detected from the event detector 4, theemphasis level calculator 21 outputs an initial value predetermined asan emphasis level R to the notification controller 20. In this regard,the initial value of the emphasis level R is the highest emphasis levelor a value equivalent thereto in order to make a user easily recognizean operation object corresponding to this event at the time of eventgeneration.

The notification controller 20 controls the notification device toprovide a notification of the presence of the operation objectcorresponding to the event with the initial value of the emphasis levelR. More specifically describing, based on information related to theevent detected by the event detector 4 and the initial value of theemphasis level R received from the emphasis level calculator 21, thenotification controller 20 specifies the operation object correspondingto the event, and outputs a notification command to provide thenotification of a presence of the specified operation object with theinitial value of the emphasis level R. The notification command isoutput to the notification device (speaker 7, HUD 8, and/or centerdisplay 9) via the I/F 3. In accordance with the notification command,the speaker 7, HUD 8, and/or center display 9 provides the notificationof the presence of the operation object corresponding to the event withthe initial value of the emphasis level R (Step ST2).

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating positional relations among the hand ofthe operator, an operation object, and a gesture performance region. InFIG. 3, an operator A is a driver who drives with a handle 12. Forexample, in the case where the event is e-mail receipt, an icon 10corresponding to this e-mail receipt is indicated on a projection member8 a (front window or projection plate) of the HUD 8. Here, the icon 10is the operation object to be an object intended for a gestureoperation. Since the initial value of the emphasis level R is setimmediately after the e-mail receipt, the icon 10 is clearly indicatedsuch that the operator A can easily visually recognize the icon. Forexample, the icon 10 is indicated with lowest transparency.

When the event related to the operation object is generated and thenotification device provides the notification of the presence of theoperation object with the initial value of the emphasis level R asdescribed above, if a set period has passed from the event generation,the emphasis level calculator 21 sequentially calculates the emphasislevel R that is gradually lowered from the initial value of the emphasislevel R. The notification controller 20 controls the notification deviceto provide a notification of the presence of the operation object withthe emphasis level R that is sequentially calculated by the emphasislevel calculator 21. With this configuration, the notification deviceprovides the notification of the presence of the operation object withthe emphasis level R that is gradually lowered (Step ST3).

When the hand of the operator A who performs a gesture operation againstthe operation object is not detected, even after the set period haspassed after the event is generated and the notification of the presenceof the operation object is provided as described above, the notificationof the presence of the operation object is provided with the emphasislevel R gradually being lowered. This can prevent the notification ofthe presence of the operation object from being kept providedunnecessarily with the high emphasis level R.

For example, in the case where the icon 10 is displayed on theprojection member 8 a of the HUD 8, the icon 10 is displayed in a mannersuperimposed on front eyesight of the operator, and blocks the eyesightof the operator.

To address this situation, when the hand of the operator A is notdetected even after the set period has passed, the emphasis level R isgradually lowered, and the icon 10 is displayed with increasingtransparency in accordance therewith. Thus, the icon 10 becomesgradually invisible, and the eyesight of the driver can be preventedfrom being blocked.

Meanwhile, in the case where the hand of the operator A is not detectedeven after a predetermined set period has additionally passed after theabove passage of the above set period, it can be determined that theoperator A has no intention to operate, and a notification of thepresence of the operation object may be stopped.

Before the above set period passes from the event generation, or whilethe notification device provides the notification of the presence of theoperation object with the emphasis level R gradually lowered afterpassage of the above set period, the emphasis level calculator 21 is ina state of waiting for detection of the hand of the operator A by the 3Dcamera 6. Here, when the hand of the operator A is not detected (StepST4: NO), this state of waiting for detection continues.

When the hand of the operator A is detected by the 3D camera 6 (StepST4: YES), the emphasis level calculator 21 specifies the position andshape of the hand of the operator A based on the detected information ofthe 3D camera 6. The detected information of the 3D camera 6 is a 3Dimage obtained by the 3D camera 6, and a two-dimensional image of thehand of the operator A and depth coordinates of each of pixels of theimage can be obtained from this 3D image. The position of the hand(spatial position) and shape of the hand of the operator A are specifiedbased on the information.

Next, the emphasis level calculator 21 calculates the emphasis level Rin accordance with a difference between the specified position of thehand of the operator A and a position of the predetermined gestureperformance region 11, and a dissimilarity between the specified shapeof the hand of the operator A and a predetermined shape of a hand forthe gesture operation of the operation object (Step ST5). Here, thegesture performance region 11 is arranged between the operator A and theicon 10 that is the operation object as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thisenables the operator A to intuitively perform the gesture operationwhile visually recognizing the operation object.

Furthermore, the emphasis level R is calculated in accordance withformula (1) described below. In the following formula (1), d representsa distance from the coordinates of a center O of the gesture performanceregion 11 to the coordinates of the position of the hand of the operatorA as illustrated in FIG. 3. Note that the distance d is a value of zeroor larger when the hand of the operator A is located at the center O. Inaddition, s represents the dissimilarity between the shape of the handof the operator A and the predetermined shape of a hand for the gestureoperation of the operation object. The more different the mutual shapesare, the larger positive value the dissimilarity s is to have.Furthermore, α and β are positive coefficients, and the distance d ofthe emphasis level R and a contribution degree of the dissimilarity sare set by α and β.

In the case where the shape of the hand of the operator A is not guidedto the predetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation althoughthe hand of the operator A is guided to the gesture performance region11, more specifically, in the case of not considering the dissimilaritys in calculating the emphasis level R, the coefficient β may be set tozero, for example.R=1/(α·d+β·s)  (1)

FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c) are diagrams illustrating the shapes of the hand ofthe operator. For example, in the case where the predetermined shape ofa hand for the gesture operation of the operation object is a shape aillustrated in FIG. 4(a), and in the case where the shape of the hand ofthe operator A is similar to the shape a, the dissimilarity s becomes asmall value. On the other hand, in the case where the shape of the handof the operator A is a shape b illustrated in FIG. 4(b) or a shape cillustrated in FIG. 4(c), the dissimilarity s becomes a large value.Consequently, in the case where the hand of the operator A is locatedoutside the gesture performance region 11 or the shape of the hand isdifferent from the predetermined shape of a hand, the emphasis level Rcalculated in accordance with the above formula (1) becomes a smallvalue. More specifically, according to the formula (1), the closer tothe inside of the gesture performance region 11 the hand of the operatorA approaches and the more similar to the predetermined shape of a handof the operator A is, the emphasis level R becomes a large value.

The notification controller 20 controls the notification device toprovide the notification of the presence of the operation object, withthe emphasis level R calculated by the emphasis level calculator 21 inStep ST5. Consequently, the notification device provides thenotification of the presence of the operation object with the emphasislevel R (Step ST6). The processing from Step ST4 to Step ST6 is repeateduntil the hand of the operator A enters inside the gesture performanceregion 11 (until the distance d becomes 0). More specifically, when thehand of the operator A is sequentially detected by the 3D camera 6during a period of repeating the above-described processing, every timethe emphasis level calculator 21 calculates an emphasis level R inresponse to the sequential detection, the notification controller 20controls the notification device to provide a notification of thepresence of the operation object with the calculated emphasis level R.In accordance with control of the notification controller 20, thenotification device provides the notification of a presence of theoperation object with the emphasis level R sequentially calculated bythe emphasis level calculator 21.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating notification modes for the operationobject in the first embodiment, and illustrating a case of providing anotification of the presence of the operation object corresponding toe-mail receipt. As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the case where the emphasislevel R is maximal, an icon corresponding to the e-mail receipt isdisplayed with minimal transparency. Also, The volume of a notificationsound to provide the notification of the e-mail receipt is set maximal.In contrast, in the case where the emphasis level R is minimal, the iconcorresponding to the e-mail receipt is displayed with maximaltransparency, and the volume of the notification sound to providenotification of the e-mail receipt is set minimal. The notificationdevice outputs the icon display and the notification sound with theemphasis level R sequentially calculated by the emphasis levelcalculator 21 in accordance with the position and the shape of the handof the operator A. The hand of operator A is guided to the gestureperformance region 11 by the hand of the operator A being moved in adirection in which the icon is more clearly displayed and thenotification sound becomes louder.

Upon calculating the emphasis level R based on the detected informationof the 3D camera 6, the emphasis level calculator 21 determines whetherthe hand of the operator A exists inside the gesture performance region11 based on the distance d (Step ST7). Here, when the hand of theoperator A has not entered inside the gesture performance region 11(Step ST7: NO), the processing proceeds to Step ST4.

Meanwhile, in the case where entrance of the hand of the operator Ainside the gesture performance region 11 is not detected even after theset period has passed from event generation, the emphasis levelcalculator 21 sequentially calculates the emphasis level R such that theemphasis level R is gradually lowered, and the notification controller20 may control the notification device to provide a notification of apresence of the operation object with the emphasis level R that issequentially calculated by the emphasis level calculator 21. This alsocan prevent consecutive notifications of the presence of the unnecessaryoperation object.

On the other hand, in the case where the hand of the operator A isinside the gesture performance region 11 (Step ST7: YES), the emphasislevel calculator 21 notifies the notification controller 20 of thisfact.

At the time of receiving the above notification from the emphasis levelcalculator 21, the notification controller 20 controls and causes thenotification device to provide the notification of a presence of thehand of the operator A being inside the gesture performance region 11(Step ST8). For example, a special sound is output from the speaker 7,or a special display is provided at the operation object. Consequently,the operator A can recognize that the gesture operation has becomerecognizable in the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform.

After that, the gesture recognition unit 22 recognizes a gestureoperation such as fingertip turning, hand waving, and special shape ofthe hand, performed by the hand of the operator A inside the gestureperformance region 11 (Step ST9). Thus, processing in accordance with arecognition result of the gesture operation is performed.

For example, in the case where the event is e-mail receipt, theprocessing such as “selection” which provides a command to read thee-mail or “cancellation” which suspends opening the e-mail and finishesthe notification is performed.

Meanwhile, in the case where the gesture operation such as “hand movingin a right direction” indicating that the operation object is notnecessary is recognized by the gesture recognition unit 22, thenotification controller 20 controls and causes the notification deviceto finish the notification of the presence of the operation object. Morespecifically, display of the operation object is erased or output of thenotification sound is stopped. This also can prevent consecutivenotifications of the presence of the unnecessary operation object. Forexample, in the HUD 8, an unnecessary operation object that blocks theeyesight of the driver can be erased.

In the case where the gesture recognition unit 22 cannot recognize thegesture operation and also the hand of the operator A moves out from thegesture performance region 11, the notification controller 20 controlsand causes the notification device to output a special sound or specialdisplay thereby notifying the operator A of a state that the gestureoperation has become not recognizable. This enables the operator A tointuitively grasp the fact that the hand has moved out of the gestureperformance region 11, and the processing immediately can proceed to theprocessing from the Step ST4.

Furthermore, in the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platformaccording to the first embodiment, the gesture recognition unit 22recognizes the gesture operation performed in the gesture performanceregion 11 with one-to-one correspondence between the operation objectand the gesture performance region 11, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Forexample, if different operation objects correspond to one common gestureperformance region, the gesture operation for each of the operationobjects is needed to be performed in the common gesture performanceregion. In this case, if a different gesture operation corresponds toeach of the operation objects, an operation mistake is likely to occur.Therefore, with one-to-one correspondence between the operation objectand the gesture performance region 11, the operator A is only to performthe gesture operation corresponding to the operation object in thegesture performance region for each of the operation objects. This canreduce occurrence of an operation mistake.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the emphasislevel calculator 21 specifies the position of the hand of the operator Abased on a detection signal of the 3D camera 6, and calculates theemphasis level R in accordance with the difference between the positionof the hand of the operator A and the predetermined position of a handto perform the gesture operation. Every time the emphasis levelcalculator 21 calculates the emphasis level R in response to detectionof the hand of the operator A by the 3D camera 6, the notificationcontroller 20 causes the notification device to provide the notificationof the presence of the operation object intended for the gestureoperation with the calculated emphasis level R to thereby guide the handof the operator A to the predetermined position.

Especially, the emphasis level calculator 21 calculates the emphasislevel R in accordance with the distance d between the position of thehand of the operator A and the center position of the gestureperformance region 11 predetermined to perform the gesture operation.

With this configuration, there is no need to display a virtual image ofthe operation object by using hologram or the like in order to recognizethe gesture operation of the operation object, and the gesture guidancedevice 1 for a moving platform can be implemented by a simpleconfiguration. Furthermore, the operator A moves the hand in thedirection in which notification of the presence of the operation objectbecomes emphasized, thereby guiding the hand of the operator A to thepredetermined hand position to perform the gesture operation (gestureperformance region). As a result, the hand of the operator A is guidedto an appropriate position in which the gesture operation is to beperformed, and recognition accuracy of the gesture operation can beimproved.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the emphasis levelcalculator 21 further specifies the shape of the hand of the operator Abased on the detected information of the 3D camera 6, and calculates theemphasis level R in accordance with the difference between the positionand shape of the hand of the operator A and the predetermined positionto perform the gesture operation and the predetermined shape of a handfor the gesture operation. The notification controller 20 causes thenotification device to provide the notification of a presence of theoperation object intended for the gesture operation with the emphasislevel R calculated by the emphasis level calculator 21, to thereby guidethe hand of the operator A to the predetermined position and to thepredetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation.

Especially, the emphasis level calculator 21 calculates the emphasislevel R in accordance with: the distance d between the position of thehand of the operator A and the center position of the gestureperformance region 11; and the dissimilarity s between the shape of thehand of the operator A and the predetermined shape of a hand for thegesture operation of the operation object.

With this configuration, the hand of the operator A can be guided to thegesture performance region 11 in which the gesture operation is to beperformed, and further guided to the predetermined shape of a hand forthe gesture operation. This can guide the hand of the operator A to anappropriate state in which the gesture operation is to be performed, andcan improve recognition accuracy of the gesture operation.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when an event related tothe operation object is generated causing a notification device toprovide a notification of a presence of the operation object, theemphasis level calculator 21 sequentially calculates an emphasis level Rthat is gradually lowered after a set period has passed from thegeneration of the event. The notification controller 20 controls thenotification device to provide a notification of the presence of theoperation object with the emphasis level R that is sequentiallycalculated by the emphasis level calculator 21. This can preventconsecutive notifications of the presence of the unnecessary operationobject.

Moreover, according to the first embodiment, the gesture recognitionunit 22 recognizes the gesture operation performed by the hand of theoperator A inside the gesture performance region 11, with one-to-onecorrespondence between the operation object and the gesture performanceregion 11. Then, the operator A is only to perform the gesture operationcorresponding to the operation object in the gesture performance regionof each operation object. This can reduce occurrence of an operationmistake.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, in the case wheregesture operation that indicates that the operation object isunnecessary is recognized by the gesture recognition unit 22, thenotification controller 20 controls the notification device not toprovide a notification of a presence of the operation object. This canprevent consecutive notifications of the presence of the unnecessaryoperation object.

Additionally, according to the first embodiment, the notificationcontroller 20 controls the notification device to provide a notificationof a presence of the hand of the operator A that has entered or movedout of the gesture performance region 11. This enables the operator A tointuitively grasp the fact that the hand has entered or moved out of thegesture performance region 11.

Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the gesture performanceregion 11 is arranged between the operator A and the operation object.This enables the operator A to intuitively perform the gesture operationwhile visually recognizing the operation object.

Second Embodiment

According to a first embodiment, an emphasis level calculator 21 feedsback a difference between a position of a hand of an operator A and acenter position of a gesture performance region 11 to the operator A byusing, in calculating an emphasis level R, a distance d from theposition of the hand of the operator A to the center position of thegesture performance region 11. However, according to this method, theoperator A may not be able to grasp in which direction the hand isdeviated and it may take time to guide the hand to the gestureperformance region 11.

Therefore, according to a second embodiment, a deviation direction ofthe hand of the operator A from the center position of the gestureperformance region 11 detected inside or outside the gesture performanceregion is calculated. A notification of a presence of an operationobject in a notification mode corresponding to the deviation directionis provided thereby to guide the hand of the operator A to the centerposition of the gesture performance region 11. This enables the operatorA to grasp in which direction, upward, downward, rightward, or leftward,the hand is to be moved based on the notification of the presence of theoperation object by the notification device.

A gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform according to thesecond embodiment has a configuration basically same as theabove-described first embodiment, but internal processing of anotification controller 20 and the emphasis level calculator 21 isdifferent as described above. Therefore, in the following, theconfiguration of the gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platformaccording to the second embodiment will be described with reference toFIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relation between the operation objectand the gesture performance region according to the second embodiment.FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams illustrating exemplary notificationmodes corresponding to the deviation directions of the hand of theoperator with respect to the center position of the gesture performanceregion. In FIG. 6, the operator A is a driver who drives with a handle12, and an icon 10 to be an object intended for a gesture operation isdisplayed on a projection member 8 a of a HUD 8. The gesture performanceregion 11 is, for example, a parallelepiped spatial area as illustratedin FIG. 6. An xyz coordinate system having a xy plane facing theoperator A side is defined, setting a center O of the gestureperformance region 11 as an original.

In the second embodiment, a value dx indicating horizontal deviation ofthe hand of the operator A and a value dy indicating vertical deviationof the hand from the center O position of the xy plane inside thegesture performance region 11 are calculated, and the deviationdirection of the hand of the operator A from the center O is specifiedfrom the values dx and dy.

Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 7(a), the above xy plane inside thegesture performance region 11 is projected on the operator A side, andthe value dx indicating horizontal deviation of the hand of the operatorA and the value dy indicating vertical deviation of the same from acenter position of the projection plane of the xy plane in the hand'sposition of the operator A (intersecting position between the projectionplane and an extension line (z axis) extending from the center O to theoperator A side) are calculated, and the deviation direction of the handof the operator A from the center position of the projection plane isspecified based on dx and dy.

The emphasis level calculator 21 notifies the notification controller 20of: the calculated emphasis level R related to the hand of the operatorA detected by the 3D camera 6 inside or outside the gesture performanceregion 11; and the deviation direction of the hand of the operator Afrom the center position of the gesture performance region 11 specifiedas described above.

The notification controller 20 controls the notification device toprovide a notification of a presence of the operation object with theemphasis level R that is calculated by the emphasis level calculator 21and in a notification mode corresponding to the deviation direction.

For example, in the case where the operation object is the icon 10corresponding to e-mail receipt, both dx and dy are positive values inthe icon 10 a as illustrated in FIG. 7(b), and the hand of the operatorA is deviated in a upper right direction from the center O or a point onthe extension line (z axis) extending from the center O to the operatorA side (center of the projection plane of the xy plane).

Therefore, in the icon 10 a, in order to visually indicate that the handof the operator A is deviated in the upper right direction from thecenter O or the point on the extension line (z axis) extending from thecenter O to the operator A side (center of the projection plane of thexy plane), the upper right portion is displayed with the emphasis levelR in accordance with to a position and a shape (distance d anddissimilarity s) of the hand of the operator A. More specifically, theupper right portion is displayed with transparency corresponding to theemphasis level R, and other portions are displayed with highertransparency than the upper right portion.

Furthermore, in an icon 10 b, both dx and dy are zero, and the hand ofthe operator A is located at the center O or the center position of theprojection plane. In the icon 10 b, the entire icon is displayed withtransparency corresponding to the emphasis level R in accordance withthe position and shape (distance d and dissimilarity s) of the hand ofthe operator A as illustrated in FIG. 7(b).

In the same manner, in an icon 10 c, both dx and dy are negative values,and the hand of the operator A is deviated in a lower left directionfrom the center O or the center of the projection plane.

Therefore, in the icon 10 c, in order to visually show that the hand ofthe operator A is deviated in the lower left direction from the center Oor the center of the projection plane, the lower left portion isdisplayed with transparency of the emphasis level R in accordance withthe position and the shape (distance d and dissimilarity s) of the handof the operator A, and other portions are displayed with highertransparency than the lower left portion.

In an icon 10 d, dx is a positive value while dy is a negative value,and the hand of the operator A is deviated in a lower right directionfrom the center O or the center of the projection plane.

Therefore, in the icon 10 d, in order to visually indicate that the handof the operator A is deviated in the lower right direction from thecenter O or the center of the projection plane, the lower right portionis displayed with transparency of the emphasis level R in accordancewith the position and shape (distance d and dissimilarity s) of the handof the operator A and other portions are displayed with highertransparency than the lower right portion.

As described above, since the icon 10 a is displayed such that only theupper right portion becomes dark, the operator A can visually grasp thatthe hand is deviated in the upper right direction from the center O ofthe gesture performance region 11 or the center of the projection plane.

On the other hand, the icon 10 b has no portion of uneven darkness.Therefore, the operator A can visually grasp that the hand is located atthe center O of the gesture performance region 11 or the center of theprojection plane. This enables the operator A to intuitively grasp inwhich direction, upward, downward, rightward, or leftward, the own handis deviated from the position of the gesture performance region 11, andcan more easily perform a correct gesture operation.

Additionally, the case of changing a display mode corresponding to thedeviation direction of the hand of the operator A has been described,but an acoustic mode using a sound may be changed as well. For example,different types of sounds are preliminarily set respectively fordeviation in upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions fromthe center O of the gesture performance region 11 or the center of theprojection plane.

In the case where the hand of the operator A is deviated in the upperright direction from the center O or the point on the extension line (zaxis) extending from the center O to the operator A side (center of theprojection plane), a sound type corresponding to deviation in the upperright direction is output from a speaker 7.

On the other hand, in the case where the hand of the operator A islocated at the center O or the center of the projection plane, a soundtype corresponding to the hand located at the center is output from thespeaker 7. Meanwhile, the sound output from the speaker 7 has volumecorresponding to the emphasis level R.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the hand of theoperator A is detected inside or outside the gesture performance region11 by the 3D camera 6, and the emphasis level calculator 21 calculatesthe deviation direction of the hand of the operator A from the center Oof the gesture performance region 11 or the point on the extension line(z axis) extending from the center O to the operator A side(intersection between the projection plane of the xy plane and the zaxis). Then, the notification controller 20 causes the notificationdevice to provide the notification of a presence of the operation objectwith the emphasis level R calculated by the emphasis level calculator 21and in the notification mode corresponding to the deviation direction,and guides the hand of the operator A to the center position of thegesture performance region 11.

This enables the operator A to intuitively grasp in which direction,upward, downward, leftward, or rightward, the hand is deviated from theposition of the gesture performance region 11, and can more easilyperform the correct gesture operation.

Third Embodiment

In a third embodiment, a case where a plurality of gesture performanceregions exists will be described. By providing the plurality of gestureperformance regions, places to perform a gesture operation and varietyof kinds of gesture operations can be broadened.

A gesture guidance device 1 for a moving platform according to the thirdembodiment has a configuration basically same as an above-describedfirst embodiment, but internal processing is different in handing theplurality of gesture performance regions as described above. Therefore,in the following, the configuration of the gesture guidance device 1 fora moving platform according to the third embodiment will be describedwith reference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an operation object and the pluralityof gesture performance regions corresponding thereto according to thethird embodiment. In FIG. 8, an operator A is a driver who drives with ahandle 12, and an icon 10 to be an object intended for a gestureoperation is displayed on a projection member 8 a of a HUD 8. Thegesture performance regions 13, 14 are the gesture performance regionsfor a left hand and a right hand of the operator A against the icon 10.

In a gesture recognition unit 22, a gesture operation performed by thehand of the operator A is recognized with one-to-one correspondencebetween the icon 10 and the gesture performance region 13, or betweenthe icon 10 and the gesture performance region 14. More specifically,the operator A may perform the gesture operation against the icon 10 ineither one of the gesture performance regions. In the case illustratedin FIG. 8, this enables the operator A to perform the gesture operationwith any hand that can be easily released from the handle 12 regardlessof a dominant hand of the operator.

In the same manner, the gesture performance region for a fellowpassenger in a driver's assistant seat or a rear seat may also beprovided against the icon 10. This enables the fellow passenger toperform the gesture operation against the icon 10.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a relation between an operation objectand each of the gesture performance regions according to the thirdembodiment. In FIG. 9, the operator A is a driver who drives with thehandle 12, and icons 10, 15 to be objects intended for a gestureoperation are displayed on the projection member 8 a of the HUD 8. Theicon 10 is the icon corresponding to a gesture performance region 16,and the icon 15 is the icon corresponding to the gesture performanceregion 17.

The operator A performs a gesture operation relative to the icon 10inside the gesture performance region 16, thereby performing readingprocessing for a received e-mail. Further, the operator performs agesture operation for the icon 15 inside the gesture performance region17, thereby performing navigation processing to a gas station.

Since the gesture operation of a different operation object isrecognized in each of the gesture performance regions, the processingcorresponding to the plurality of operation objects can be performed.Furthermore, the variety of kinds of the gesture operation can bebroadened by setting the gesture operation like “hand waving” as adifferent meaning in each of the gesture performance regions.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a relation between the operationobject and the gesture performance region in each notification deviceaccording to the third embodiment. In FIG. 10, the operator A is adriver who drives with the handle 12, and an icon 10 to be an objectintended for a gesture operation is displayed on the projection member 8a of the HUD 8, and in the same manner, an icon 15 to be an object ofthe gesture operation is displayed on a screen 9 a of a center display9. Furthermore, a gesture performance region 18 is the gestureperformance region corresponding to the icon 10, and a gestureperformance region 19 is the gesture performance region corresponding tothe icon 15.

In the case of recognizing the gesture operation performed by theoperator A in the gesture performance region 18, the notificationcontroller 20 outputs, to the HUD 8 associated with the gestureperformance region 18, a notification command for a processing result ofthe gesture operation. In the same manner, in the case where theoperator A performs the gesture operation in the gesture performanceregion 19, the notification controller 20 outputs, to the center display9 corresponding to the gesture performance region 19, a notificationcommand for a processing result of the gesture operation.

More specifically, the notification controller 20 performs control suchthat the notification device corresponding to the gesture performanceregion where the gesture recognition unit 22 has recognized the gestureoperation outputs the processing result of the gesture operation. Thisenables the operator A to select the notification device from which theoperator A desires to output the processing result of the gestureoperation in accordance with the gesture performance region.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the gestureperformance regions are provided at a plurality of places. Therefore,the places to perform a gesture operation and the variety of kinds ofgesture operations can be broadened.

For example, by providing the gesture performance regions 13, 14 for theleft hand and the right hand, the operator A can perform the gestureoperation with any hand that can be easily released from the handle 12regardless of the dominant hand of the operator. Furthermore, byproviding the gesture performance region for a fellow passenger besidesthe driver, the fellow passenger can also perform the gesture operationfor the operation object.

Moreover, according to the third embodiment, the gesture recognitionunit 22 recognizes the gesture operation for the different operationobject in each of the gesture performance regions. Consequently, theprocessing corresponding to the plurality of the operation objects canbe performed. Additionally, a different meaning can be set for thegesture operation like “hand waving” in each of the gesture performanceregions.

Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, the notificationcontroller 20 performs control such that the notification devicecorresponding to the gesture performance region where the gesturerecognition unit 22 has recognized the gesture operation outputs theprocessing result of the gesture operation. This enables the operator Ato select the notification device from which the operator desires tooutput the processing result of the gesture operation in accordance withthe gesture performance region.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to a fourth embodiment.In FIG. 11, a gesture guidance device 1A for a moving platform accordingto the fourth embodiment includes a calculator 2A different from aconfiguration of a first embodiment, and the calculator 2A includes aperformance region setting unit 23. The performance region setting unit23 is a position changing unit to change a position of a gestureperformance region 11. Also, the performance region setting unit 23includes an adjustment unit 23 a to adjust the position of the gestureperformance region 11 in accordance with a command from the outside.Note that, in FIG. 11, component same as FIG. 1 will be denoted by thesame reference signs and a description therefor will be omitted.

For example, a user or a person in charge of maintenance can change theposition of the gesture performance region 11 at an optional timing byusing the performance region setting unit 23.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration screen ofthe gesture performance region. First, the user or the person in chargeof maintenance makes selection from a menu screen displayed on a displaydevice such as a center display 9, and starts the performance regionsetting unit 23.

After the performance region setting unit 23 is started, the adjustmentunit 23 a displays a configuration screen 9 b as illustrated in FIG. 12on the center display 9. Meanwhile, the configuration screen may also bedisplayed on a HUD 8.

The configuration screen 9 b includes the position coordinates of acenter O of the gesture performance region (center coordinates) and asetting field 9 c to set a width and a height representing a sizethereof. When the user sets the center coordinates, width, and height inthe setting field 9 c by using an input device such as a touch panel ora hardware key, the adjustment unit 23 a sets the gesture performanceregion 11 in a position based on the setting value. This enables theuser to change the position of the gesture performance region 11 to aplace where the user can easily perform the gesture operation.

In FIG. 12, for example, 10 cm is set for a normal direction (z axis) ofa display surface of the HUD 8 from an operation object displayed on theHUD 8 that is a notification device to an operator A side. Additionally,under the condition that the center O is a position 10 cm distant fromthe display surface and the center O is set as an origin, 20 cm is setfor an x axis direction (−10 cm in a −x axis direction and +10 cm in a+x axis direction via the center O) and 20 cm is set for a Y axisdirection (−10 cm in a −y axis direction and +10 cm in a +y axisdirection via the center O) respectively. Furthermore, 20 cm is set forthe z axis direction (−10 cm in the −z axis direction and +10 cm in the+z axis direction via the center O) by setting the width to 20 cm, and aparallelepiped spatial area is defined as the gesture performance regionby setting the height to 20 cm. The parallelepiped spatial area isdefined from a plane where a xy surface including the center O isprojected at the position of −10 cm in the z direction to a plane wherethe same is projected at the position of +10 cm.

Meanwhile, in the setting field 9 c, any spatial position between theposition of the operator A and the operation object may also bepreliminarily set as an initial position of the gesture performanceregion 11. Consequently, since the operator A can easily perform thegesture operation at the initial position, there is no need to changethe position. Therefore, setting for the position of gesture performanceregion 11 can be simplified.

Additionally, in FIG. 12, the case of changing the position of thegesture performance region 11 by setting the position of the operationobject as a reference position has been described, but in the case wherethe operator A is a driver who drives with a handle 12, a position ofthe handle 12 may be set as the reference position (for example, leftend position of the handle 12).

Moreover, the performance region setting unit 23 may learn a position ofa hand of the operator A where the gesture operation is recognized bythe gesture recognition unit 22, and may change the position of thegesture performance region 11 based on the learning result.

For example, the performance region setting unit 23 preliminarilysequentially stores positions of the hand where the gesture operation isperformed by the operator A, and calculates: a position where thegesture operation is performed in the same position the number of timesof a threshold or more out of positions where the gesture operation hasbeen performed predetermined number of times in the past; or an averageposition of the gesture operation in which the gesture operation hasbeen performed predetermined number of times in the past. Then, theperformance region setting unit 23 changes the position of the gestureperformance region 11 by setting the calculated position as the center Oor by setting the same as an apex position or the like.

Consequently, the position of the gesture performance region 11 can bechanged to a position suitable for the operator A.

In this regard, in the case where the gesture performance region 11 islocated too close to the handle 12, operation of the handle 12 by theoperator A may be erroneously determined as the gesture operation.

Therefore, a limit may also be provided on a position range of thegesture performance region 11 that can be changed by the performanceregion setting unit 23. For example, a spatial position located in apredetermined distance from the handle 12 is preliminarily set as aprohibited position in the performance region setting unit 23, and theposition of the gesture performance region 11 is prevented from beingchanged to the prohibited position. Consequently, misrecognition of thegesture operation can be reduced.

As describe above, according to the fourth embodiment, since theperformance region setting unit 23 to change the position of the gestureperformance region 11 is provided, the gesture performance region is notset as a fixed position and can be moved. Additionally, since theadjustment unit 23 a to adjust the position of the gesture performanceregion 11 in accordance with the information set by an outside isprovided, the gesture performance region 11 can be set at a desiredplace of the operator A.

Moreover, according to the fourth embodiment, the performance regionsetting unit 23 learns the position of the hand of the operator A wherethe gesture operation is recognized, and changes the position of thegesture performance region 11 based on the learning result.Consequently, the gesture performance region 11 where the operator A caneasily perform the gesture operation can be set. At this point, thelimit is provided in the position range of the gesture performanceregion 11 changeable by the performance region setting unit 23. This canprevent the gesture performance region 11 from being set at the placewhere misrecognition is likely to occur, and misrecognition of thegesture operation can be reduced.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, the respective embodiments can befreely combined, any component in the respective embodiments can bemodified, or any component in the respective embodiments can be omittedwithin the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A gesture guidance device for a moving platform according to the presentinvention is applicable to, for example, an operation device of anon-vehicle information apparatus because the device can be implementedby a simple configuration and also can perform guidance to a state inwhich the gesture operation is to be performed.

EXPLANATIONS OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1, 1A Gesture guidance device for a moving platform; 2, 2A Processor; 3I/F; 4 Event detector; 4 a Antenna; 5 Bus; 6 3D Camera; 7 Speaker; 8HUD; 8 a Projection member; 9 Center display; 9 a Screen; 9 bConfiguration Screen; 9 c Setting Field; 10, 10 a to 10 d, 15 Icon; 11,13, 14, 16 to 19 Gesture performance region; 12 Handle; 20 Notificationcontroller; 21 Emphasis level calculator; 22 Gesture recognition unit;23 Performance region setting unit; and 23 a Adjustment unit.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A gesture guidance device for a movingplatform, comprising: a processor and memory configured to, detect aposition and a shape of a hand of an operator based on informationdetected by a sensor that detects the hand of the operator, calculate anemphasis level in accordance with a difference between a combination ofthe position and the shape of the hand of the operator and anothercombination of a predetermined position for performing a gestureoperation and a predetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation,calculate a deviation direction of the position of the hand with respectto a center of a gesture performance region predetermined for performingthe gesture operation or a point on an extension line that extends fromthe center of the gesture performance region to the operator, andcontrol, every time the processor calculates the emphasis level inresponse to detection of the hand of the operator by the sensor, anotification device to display an icon of an operation object intendedfor the gesture operation, with transparency corresponding to thecalculated emphasis level and with a planar distribution of thetransparency that is deviated from a center of the display icon,depending on the calculated deviation direction, to thereby guide thehand of the operator to the predetermined position and the predeterminedshape of a hand for the gesture operation.
 2. The gesture guidancedevice for a moving platform according to claim 1, wherein the processorcalculates the emphasis level, based on a distance between the positionof the hand of the operator and a center position of a gestureperformance region for performing the gesture operation; and adissimilarity between the shape of the hand of the operator and thepredetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation.
 3. The gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to claim 1, wherein:when an event related to the operation object is generated causing theprocessor to notify the presence of the operation object, the processorsequentially calculating an emphasis level that is gradually loweredafter a set period has passed from the generation of the event; and theprocessor notifying the presence of the operation object, based on theemphasis level sequentially calculated thereby.
 4. The gesture guidancedevice for a moving platform according to claim 1, wherein: theprocessor issues a notification of a presence of the operation object,with the calculated emphasis level and in a notification modecorresponding to the deviation direction, to thereby guide the hand ofthe operator to a center position of the gesture performance region. 5.The gesture guidance device for a moving platform according to claim 1,wherein the processor further recognizes the gesture operation performedby the hand of the operator in the gesture performance region withone-to-one correspondence between the operation object and the gestureperformance region.
 6. The gesture guidance device for a moving platformaccording to claim 5, wherein, when the processor does not recognize theoperation object, the processor does not issue a notification of apresence of the operation object.
 7. The gesture guidance device for amoving platform according to claim 5, wherein the gesture performanceregion includes a plurality of gesture performance regions that areprovided at a plurality of places.
 8. The gesture guidance device for amoving platform according to claim 7, wherein the gesture recognitionunit recognizes a gesture operation of a different operation objectbeing in each of the gesture performance regions.
 9. The gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to claim 7, wherein theprocessor outputs a processing result of the gesture operation when thegesture operation is recognized.
 10. The gesture guidance device for amoving platform according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of gestureperformance regions includes a gesture performance region for a righthand or a left hand of a driver in the moving platform or a gestureperformance region for a passenger besides the driver.
 11. The gestureguidance device for a moving platform according to claim 7, wherein thegesture performance region is arranged between the operator and theoperation object.
 12. The gesture guidance device for a moving platformaccording to claim 1, wherein the processor further changes a positionof the gesture performance region.
 13. The gesture guidance device for amoving platform according to claim 12, wherein the processor furtheradjusts a position of the gesture performance region in accordance withinformation set by an outside input.
 14. The gesture guidance device fora moving platform according to claim 12, wherein the processor learns aposition of the hand of the operator where a gesture operation has beenrecognized, and changes a position of the gesture performance regionbased on a result of the learning.
 15. The gesture guidance device for amoving platform according to claim 14, wherein a limit is provided in aposition range of the gesture performance region that is changeable bythe position changing unit.
 16. The gesture guidance device for a movingplatform according to claim 1, wherein the processor notifies a presenceof the hand of the operator that has entered or moved out of the gestureperformance region.
 17. A gesture guidance system for a moving platform,comprising: a sensor configured to detect a hand of an operator; anotification device configured to provide a notification of a presenceof an operation object; and a processor and memory configured to detecta position and a shape of the hand of the operator based on informationdetected by the sensor, calculate an emphasis level in accordance with adifference between a combination of the position and the shape of thehand of the operator and another combination of a predetermined positionof a hand for performing a gesture operation and a predetermined shapeof a hand for the gesture operation, calculate a deviation direction ofthe position of the hand with respect to a center of a gestureperformance region predetermined for performing the gesture operation ora point of an extension line that extends from the center of the gestureperformance region to the operator, and control, every time theprocessor calculates the emphasis level in response to detection of thehand of the operator by the sensor, the notification device to displayan icon of an operation object intended for the gesture operation, withtransparency corresponding to the calculated emphasis level and with aplanar distribution of the transparency that is deviated from a centerof the display icon, depending on the calculated deviation direction, tothereby guide the hand of the operator to the predetermined position andthe predetermined shape of a hand for the gesture operation.
 18. Agesture guidance method for a moving platform, comprising: detecting aposition and a shape of a hand of an operator based on informationdetected by a sensor that detects the hand of the operator; calculatingan emphasis level in accordance with a difference between a combinationof the position and the shape of the hand of the operator and anothercombination of a predetermined position of a hand for performing agesture operation and a predetermined shape of a hand for the gestureoperation; calculating a deviation direction of the position of the handwith respect to a center of a gesture performance region predeterminedfor performing the gesture operation or a point on an extension linethat extends from the center of the gesture performance region to theoperator; and controlling, every time the emphasis level is calculatedin response to detection of the hand of the operator by the sensor, anotification device to display an icon of an operation object intendedfor the gesture operation, with transparency corresponding to thecalculated emphasis level and with a planar distribution of thetransparency that is deviated from a center of the display icon,depending on the calculated deviation direction, to thereby guide thehand of the operator to the predetermined position and the predeterminedshape of a hand for the gesture operation.